Has ‘The God of High School’ been canceled?

As anime becomes increasingly more popular every year and more streaming platforms attempt to get in on the action, certain networks have begun to produce their own original anime, similar to streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu. When it comes to anime, who better to create original programming than Crunchyroll? 

Recently, Crunchyroll and Cartoon Network’s collaborative effort, Blade Runner: Black Lotus, is the streamer’s third original series. Of course, Crunchyroll is already well-known for its first original series, the popular webtoon Tower of God, but Crunchyroll had another original series that premiered in 2020. That series is none other than the action-packed fighter anime The God of High School, and fans are beginning to wonder whether or not it’s been renewed for a second season.

So far, Crunchyroll has yet to release any updates regarding the anime’s second season. With two years since its debut, some fans believe that the anime may indeed be canceled. That said, here’s everything we currently know about the anime’s fate.

What is The God of High School?

The God of High School is based on a Korean manhwa of the same name that first started as a webtoon before getting picked up by Crunchyroll. Animated by Studio MAPPA ⏤ the animation geniuses behind Attack on Titan and Dorohedoro ⏤ The God of High School revolves around Mori Jin, a high school student and Tae Kwon Do expert who enters the “God of High School” fighting tournament, which is meant to determine the strongest high school students in Korea. However, as he and the other contestants battle it out in impressive choreographed fight sequences, Jin soon finds that the tournament is hiding a much darker purpose, one that drastically changes the course of the story.

At the end of season one, fans were left with lots of questions as the anime began to hint more at Mori’s grandfather’s involvement in the tournament and the true origins behind the strange supernatural abilities that had started to manifest in the latter part of the season. Since then, fans have been eagerly anticipating the premiere of the second season in the hopes of learning more about the tournament’s next stage.

Will The God of High School be returning?

Currently, there still hasn’t been a renewal date announced for The God of High School. However, that doesn’t mean the anime won’t return for a second season. Since its debut, the show has scored high with audiences, boasting a 4.2 out of 5 on Crunchyroll and 7.6 on IMDb, so it definitely has an audience. According to sites like HITC, there may be several factors that are keeping the anime on the shelf for now.

One issue could be the source material. Mangas and Korean manhwas typically take a while to complete a story, with some ranging from a few years to an entire decade. Although this is not quite an established fact, there have been many instances where creators go on hiatus for months at a time due to health complications. Such is the case with The God of High School creator Yong Je Park. 

According to Monsters and Critics, Park announced late last year that he would go on a brief hiatus to recuperate from an existing health issue before focusing on The God of High School‘s final arc. Though the Korean manhwa already has six story arcs and over 500 chapters, Crunchyroll may be waiting until Park finishes Mori Jin’s martial arts saga before resuming production on the anime.

There may be another reason why Crunchyroll has yet to announce the new season: MAPPA’s 2022 project schedule. According to HITC, the popular and widely used anime production company has its hands pretty full this year, as it’s been working on the Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and the final season of Attack on Titan, with the last two being the most anticipated anime titles of this year. It’s quite possible that the studio is focusing on rolling out those properties first before they concentrate their efforts on The God of High School.

There’s one last factor to keep in mind. Even if MAPPA is currently adapting The God of High School for the new season, the incredible detail and choreography of the show’s fight scenes takes time to create. Sometimes, animators have to work for three years to develop a 10-episode season for an anime of that caliber. 

As it stands, it’s anyone’s guess as to when Crunchyroll will finally announce the second season of The God of High School, but the odds of it being canceled are unlikely. Some even anticipate that Crunchyroll may announce something this year in preparation for a 2023 release. Until then, fans will just have to wait patiently to find out what’s next for Mori and the gang.